"The Marines in Loguetown are no match for them. To be honest, I was confident enough not to call for any reinforcements..."
Kuina held the Wado Ichimonji in front of her, gripping the sword with both hands.
"However, right now, this stormy weather is the perfect counter to the Float-Float Fruit..."
"Nami ran toward the western port, which means their ship is on the west side."
Her justice coat billowed in the wind as Kuina gave a wry smile.
"And right now, the wind is blowing westward—a tailwind for their ship!"
"Is all of this just a coincidence? It's as if fate itself wants you to survive, Luffy!"
Luffy was sprinting toward the ship with Zoro and Sanji. He had also recognized the imposing female Marine wielding a sword.
"Kuina-nee! Are you here to see me off?"
"Idiot! She's here to stop us from setting sail!"
Zoro smacked Luffy on the head and dragged him along as they ran.
"Hurry up and move! Do you have any idea how strong she is?!"
"She's a Marine Headquarters commodore! A high-ranking officer!"
"And Kuina is way stronger than your average commodore!"
"Whaaa~~ A beautiful woman~~~"
Sanji's body turned noodle-like in awe, but he still managed to keep running.
"Hey! Moss-head! This way!!"
"..."
Ignoring Buggy and his crew, who were scrambling to chase after Luffy and his gang, Kuina gripped her sword with both hands and unleashed a powerful slash.
"One-Sword Style: Sea-Splitting Slash!"
A massive flying slash, carrying the force to split tidal waves, shot through the air. It soared over Buggy and his men, freezing them in place out of sheer terror. Sweat poured down their faces as they dared not move an inch.
"T-That's... a Marine?!"
"She must be a high-ranking officer from Headquarters!"
"This... this is a flying slash attack!"
The massive attack hurtled straight toward Luffy's group. Gritting his teeth, Zoro drew the Sandai Kitetsu, gripping it with both hands as he swung at the incoming slash.
"She's... gotten this strong already?!"
"Like hell I'm going down—BREAK!!!"
With a roar, Zoro's muscles tensed, veins bulging as he swung his sword upward, deflecting the massive flying slash!
"Move it!"
Taking advantage of the momentum, Zoro quickly caught up with Luffy and Sanji.
"Whoa! That beautiful woman is insanely strong! Moss-head, how do you know such a gorgeous Marine?!"
"And Luffy, you know her too?! And you're even calling her that affectionately?!"
"Why am I the only one who doesn't know her?! This is outrageous!!"
Sanji's frustration boiled over, but Zoro shut him up with a sharp yell.
"Stop babbling! She's my senior sister!"
"As long as it's her chasing us, we still have a chance to escape!"
"But my senior brother has also arrived in this town! If we wait any longer and he makes a move himself, we're done for!"
"Hah? Your senior disciple? Who the hell is your senior brother?!"
"Marine Headquarters Admiral 'Orange Gallant'—Wright!"
"..."
Sanji immediately clammed up, grabbed Luffy and Zoro, and dashed forward with renewed speed.
Kuina lifted off the ground, flying at low altitude, rapidly closing the distance.
"One-Sword Style: Wind-Cutting Slash!"
She swung her sword, unleashing an almost imperceptible yet deadly slash, enhanced by the power of the Float-Float Fruit, accelerating toward the three fugitives.
"BOOM—!"
"Waaahhh—!"
The powerful attack clashed with Zoro's desperate counterstrike, causing a violent explosion that sent the trio flying—ironically, even closer to the port!
"Tch! Again!"
Kuina accelerated, preparing for another strike, when suddenly—
A cloaked figure, wrapped in a rain-soaked mantle, appeared in front of her, blocking her path.
"That's enough."
Kuina stopped immediately, sensing the overwhelming presence radiating from the figure even from a mere three feet away.
"You..."
The stranger slightly lifted his head, and Kuina's pupils shrank in shock.
"You're..."
"That boy becoming a pirate—it's not so bad, is it?"
"The world is waiting for our answer..."
"Speaking of which, I should thank you."
The man looked past Kuina.
"Senior Brother!"
Kuina spun around and saw Wright standing behind her, his long coat swaying in the wind as he smiled.
"Kuina, let it go..."
"Even I don't have a full guarantee of stopping them when facing this man."
"…Understood!"
Kuina sighed. Before her stood the World Government's "Most Wanted Criminal," the Revolutionary Dragon—why was he helping that kid, Luffy?
Was this... destiny?
Even with her years of relentless sword training and the power of the Float-Float Fruit, she still couldn't capture a crew that hadn't even entered the Grand Line yet!
Even though she personally knew most of them!
And yet, she hadn't held back at all!
"Nice to meet you, Dragon. No need for any thanks."
Wright observed the legendary man, his expression slightly strange.
"You know, I've always wondered... are those markings on your face really from Garp's sandals?"
"..."
Dragon's mysterious, commanding, and dignified aura shattered in an instant.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Kuina coughed violently, completely ruining what should have been an epic scene.
"Garp-jiisan's… sandal prints?!"
"What the hell is going on here?!"
Dragon, the great leader of the Revolutionary Army, known for his unparalleled composure—yeah, right!
Taking a deep breath, Dragon barely managed to suppress his facial muscles from twitching as he forced out a pained smile.
"Admiral Wright… you really do have a sense of humor."
"Ha, ha, ha… No need to be so tense, just trying to lighten the mood."
Wright scratched his nose, looking a little awkward himself.
"Come to think of it, we're of the same generation. Do you have any idea what Garp did to me after you left? He used me as a punching bag every damn day at Headquarters!"
"I nearly developed PTSD from it!"
"Can you believe he handed his own grandson over to bandits to raise? He didn't even ask, he just forced them! How the hell was that supposed to produce a Marine?!"
"I tried everything to bring Luffy back, but it was useless! I even suggested Garp break a leg so I could drag Luffy back myself… but he refused!"
"I told him I could reattach his leg as many times as needed!"
"..."
Dragon's face twitched as he stared at Wright, now regretting not disappearing the moment he spotted him.
Kuina, meanwhile, extracted the most critical information from their conversation:
"Garp, Luffy, Dragon, grandson, son—"
"Oh my god…"
She refused to think any further.
"Technically, we aren't enemies. At least, not in the future... I've been looking for you."
"Monkey D. Dragon."
"Are you interested in hearing my vision for 'world peace'?"
Dragon's expression grew serious. Admiral Wright, the one Marine he could never quite figure out.
He had accomplished things even the Revolutionary Army had only dreamed of.
Things that should have been impossible for a Marine.
And yet, this man had done them.
"Interesting…"
"It seems we do need to have a 'proper conversation.'"
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